Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles – Episode 1
I definitely said “I’m bored” two minutes into the premiere of this show.
Posts by Chiaki Hirai
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Peach Boy Riverside – Episode 1
Among the many different retellings of the Momotaro legend, it’s nothing new to argue: “what if Momotaro was a douchebag for massacring a bunch of ogres?” But Peach Boy Riverside doesn’t quite go there and instead presents an uneasy set of mixed signals in its art direction, narrative and characters.
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We need more licensed doujinshi
I often want to share a cool story after reading it, but, as an avid reader of doujinshi, I find few outlets where I can share that passion. For all the interesting work indie publications can harbor, they are largely inaccessible to non-Japanese markets, making it difficult to share my passion with English fans.
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Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House – Episode 1
Despite the strange mid-season start for the show, Kiyo in Kyoto seems to be lovingly crafted and easygoing show meant to get people hungry for Japan.
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Ex-Arm – Episode 1
Ex-Arm is everything that can probably go wrong making an anime, beating out even Kemono Friends and Gibiate in production values.
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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation – Episode 1
The show looks cool, so I guess I’ll stick around for 3 episodes. Totally fair if you’re not up for a gross protagonist constantly whining about boobs though.
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Horimiya – Episode 1
A teenage love comedy that’s got a few problematic beats to an otherwise solid premiere.
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The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter – Episode 1
A show that could have been a forgettable isekai, but the dude doesn’t come from Japan for once. He’s still boring and everyone wants to get into his pants.
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Cute Executive Officer – Episode 1
A short show about the most exasperating 5 year old you’ll see in anime this year, probably.
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Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World – Episode 1
Our Last Crusade feels more like an MMO world that refuses to admit it’s just the Light Novel author’s MMO fanfiction.
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By the Grace of the Gods – Episode 1
When you have an isekai show so aggressively by the numbers, even the cast points out it’s all just a cliche, you can’t help but wonder if this is a covert call for help from the production staff at Maho Film.
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Warlords of Sigrdrifa – Episode 1
Though not entirely free of pro-military political messaging, this is overall an entertaining premiere about four ace pilots fighting to save the earth.
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Katarina of Irodori Comics on translating doujinshi to English
Irodori Comics launched an all-ages online doujinshi store featuring LGBTQ+ works. AniFem asked its editor to talk about the company’s future plans.
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Brianna Slaughter on organizing BLM Kansai / インタビュー：BLM関西オーガナイザー、ブリアナ・スローター
A Q-and-A session with the Kyoto-based Afro Lantinx YouTuber who helped organize the BLM Kansai march in early June. (Available in Japanese and English)
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The Worker’s Nekopara: A call to arms against nekonomic exploitation
Yes, even the horny catgirl anime can be a lesson in real-world inequality.
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Joy in the Apocalypse: Ruminations driving through desolation
At first glance, Ashinano Hitoshi’s 1995 sci-fi world seems no more than a quiet and rural part of modern Japan, but the easygoing protagonists live amidst ruin in what would have been the metropolitan Tokyo Bay. Entire cities have sunk and an untold number of lives have likely been shattered, yet the comic takes solace, even joy, in depicting the beauty of the world as humanity sits back to accept its fate.
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Woodpecker Detective’s Office – Episode 1
Undeniably pretty, Woodpecker Detective’s Office otherwise only begins to scratch the surface of what makes a good mystery series.
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22/7– Episode 1
The greatest paradox of 22/7’s inaugural episode is how much it wishes to tell you the idol industry is full of shit and how much it attempts to lionize the 22/7 group’s founding as a legendary idol unit.
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Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga – Episode 1
Cinnamon Nobunaga is a decent comedy where some of the jokes may fail to land if you’re not aware of 16th-century Japanese history, but it’s easy enough to get and visually humorous enough that it’s not really a prerequisite to enjoy.
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Infinite Dendrogram – Episode 1
If you want a slightly more serious fantasy MMORPG anime for this season, this might be your ticket.
